Central

The Government is responsible for:

• National legislation;
• Estonian Qualifications Framework, introduced in 2013;
• Evaluations of vocational training programmes;
• Overseeing the use of the new unit, Estonian Vocational Education Credit Points, for measuring study volumes;
• Standards of vocational training, as monitored by the Vocational Education Standard;
• Providing basic education for those interested therein and ensuring the opportunity to acquire secondary vocational education (responsibility shared with the municipalities);

At least one vocational education institution operates in every Estonian county. In the 2018/2019 academic year, there were 32 vocational educational institutions and 6 professional higher institutions active in Estonia that offered a range of 160 professions.

Vocational education institutions are divided based on the ownership status into state, municipal and private institutions. Vocational education institutions operated by the Ministry of Education and Research are considered state schools, numbering a total of 26 institutions in the 2018/2019 academic year.

From 2008-2015, by using resources allocated by the European Regional Development Fund, an investment scheme titled “Modernising learning environments of vocational education institutions" has been implemented, as a result of which all state vocational education institutions are now provided with up to date studying and teaching environments.

Regional

No competencies identified at the regional level.

Local ​

Local authorities are responsible for:

• Providing basic education for those interested therein and ensuring the opportunity to acquire secondary vocational education (responsibility shared with the central level).

In the 2018/2019 academic year, there were 32 vocational educational institutions and 6 professional higher institutions active in Estonia that offered a range of 160 professions.

Responsible ministries/bodies

Ministry of Education and Research 

Sources

Ministry of Education and Research

Vocational Education, Ministry of Education and Research

Vocational Educational Institutions Act